SPONGES 



some of the magic of chemistry, working with a 

 formula of sea-water and time, stirred with a 

 mysterious hfe process which was in perfect work- 

 ing order five hundred millions of years ago, when 

 the complex spicules of Cambrian sponges were 

 manufactured. In past ages sponge spicules have 

 been responsible for considerable geologic deposits, 

 and more recently they played a part in the battles 

 which were waged between our grandparent pio- 

 neers and the red Indians, — the flints of the arrow- 

 heads and the flints which struck sparks from the 

 triggers of the muzzle-loading guns. 



One day in April when I had dived until I could 

 stand it no longer, I drifted closer to the main reef 

 of Lamentin, and anchored just over a giant sponge. 

 I had already made its acquaintance, and named 

 an adjoining coral road "Sponge Alley". I had 

 watched the life in and about it from a distance, 

 had squatted beside it, observing it at close range, 

 and finally sat upon it to rest, and to transcribe 

 these notes with pencil upon a plate of zinc. It 

 was larger than a half barrel and canted slightly 

 to one side. I sent down one man who prized 

 and cut it loose, and tied a rope around it. It was 

 so heavy that he could barely lift it free of the 

 bottom, to make the rope slip beneath. We drew 

 it to the surface, but once out of water the com- 

 bined efforts of four of us failed to get it over the 

 gunwale. So down it went again, and when several 

 hundred pounds of coral had been chopped out of 

 its base, v/e had another try. This time, dealing 



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